Wouldn’t it be nice to see this applied to Long Jing green tea, or Taiwan High Mountain Oolong, or Bi Luo Chun, just to name a few. China does have Origin certifications, but they are ineffective and only are issued on packaged tea not bulk. It will be a long time coming if the tea industry continues to feel as if supply chain concealment is a basic trade secret right.

BRUSSELS: India may become only the second non-European country to gain European Union brand-name protection for one of its most famous exports —
Darjeeling tea.

“When we consider that more ‘Darjeeling tea’ is produced outside India than in the Darjeeling region — some estimates put the figure of false Darjeeling — at three times the amount of genuine product, it is easy to understand why,” a Commission background paper said.

Somewhat bizarrely, an objection to the tea designation may come from the French lingerie company Darjeeling, officials say.

The first cup kisses away my thirst,
and my loneliness is quelled by the second.
The third gives insight worthy of ancient scrolls,
and the fourth exiles my troubles.
My body becomes lighter with the fifth,
and the sixth sends word from immortals.
But the seventh —oh the seventh cup— if I drink you,
a wind will hurry my wings toward the sacred island.